Writing Contests:

Information Provided by Dean Sowle's Office

New listings added for the current week, if
any, are indicated in italics. Print copies
of the rules and regulations governing the writing contests
listed here are available from Denise Lang in Suite 320.Sponsor/Title: Illinois Association of Defense
Trial Counsel Writing Contest.Topic: A topic of interest to the civil
defense bar, specifically one within any of the following
areas: evidence, tort law, civil rights, municipal liability,
professional malpractice, nursing home litigation, or construction
negligence.Prizes: First place, $1,000 and
publication of the paper.Deadline: The deadline for submissions
is May 31, 2004.
Website:http://www.iadtc.org Sponsor/Title:Pacific Legal Foundation
Fifth Annual Program for Judicial Awareness Writing Competition.Topic: One of the following topics: (1) In Lucas
v. South Carolina Coastal Council, 505 U.S. 1003 (1992), the
Supreme Court held that compensation for a regulatory taking
is not required if the property use in question could have
been prohibited by “the restrictions that background principles
of the State’s law of property and nuisance already place
upon land ownership.” Discuss the “background principles”
exception to the Takings Clause, both as it was set forth
in Lucas and as it has been applied by lower courts since
then. Is this exception a useful mechanism for determining
when just compensation for a taking is due? (2) To what extent
should American courts look to foreign sources of law and
international conventions in determining the protections and
guarantees of the United States Constitution? (3) What should
be the limitations (if any) of federal authority to enforce
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act against wholly intrastate
employers, in light of recent Supreme Court decisions restricting
the scope of congressional power under the Commerce Clause?Prizes: First place, $5,000; first runner-up,
$3,000; second runner-up, $1,500.Deadline: Entries must be postmarked no
later than May 31, 2004.Website:http://www.pacificlegal.org Sponsor/Title:NRA Civil Right Defense Fund
Law Student Essay Contest.Topic: The right of the individual to keep and
bear arms as a federally protect right.Prizes: First place, $5,000; second place,
$3,000; third place, $2,000; fourth place, $1,000.Deadline: Entries must be postmarked or
delivered on or before May 31, 2004.Website:http://www.nradefensefund.org/docs/writing_contest.htmlSponsor/Title:American Judges Association/American
Judges Foundation Law Student Essay Competition.Topic: A topic of interest to a broad segment
of the judiciary.Prizes: First place, $3,000 and publication
of paper; second place, $1,500; third place, $1,000.Deadline: Entries must be postmarked no
later than June 1, 2004. Website:http://aja.ncsc.dni.usSponsor/Title:ABA Section of Dispute Resolution
and Association for Conflict Resolution, James Boskey Dispute
Resolution Essay Competition.Topic: The purpose of the competition is to
promote greater interest in and understanding of the field
of dispute resolution and collaborative decision-making among
students enrolled in ABA accredited law schools as well as
students enrolled in graduate programs both in the United
States and abroad.Prizes: First place, $1,000.Deadline: Submissions must be made no
later than June 1, 2004.Website:http://www.abanet.org/dispute
or http://www.acresolution.orgSponsor/Title: American Society of Composers, Authors
and Publishers (ASCAP) Nathan Burkan Memorial Competition.
Topic: Any aspect of copyright law.Prizes: First place, $600, second place, $250,
at each participating law school.Deadline: Entries must be certified to the Society
no later than June 30, 2004.Other Information: Two winning papers will be
chosen, and awards given, at each participating law school.
Open to third-year (or, with permission, second-year) law
students. Each school will be responsible for choosing the
winning papers. Any Chicago-Kent student interested in submitting
a paper should contact Dean Sowle well in advance of the June
30 deadline. Sponsor/Title:NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund
Scholarship Contest for Third-Year Law Students.Topic: The constitutional right to keep and
bear arms.Prizes: First place, $12,500 toward tuition;
second place, $5,000; third place, $2,500.Deadline: Entries must be received on
or before June 1, 2004. Sponsor/Title: Federal Circuit Bar Association
George Hutchinson Writing Competition.Topic: Any topic that lies within the
procedure, substance, or scope of the specialized jurisdiction
of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.Prizes: First place, $3,000.Deadline: Entries must be postmarked
or e-mailed before June 1, 2004.Sponsor/Title: Virginia Sports & Entertainment
Law Journal National Note Competition.Topic: Any topic pertaining to sports
law or entertainment law.Prizes: First place, $200 and publication
of article; second and third places, publication of article.Deadline: The deadline for submissions
is June 10, 2004.Sponsor/Title: American Bar Association Commission
on Domestic Violence Writing Competition.Topic: Domestic violence and the law,
from a national or international perspective.Prizes: First place, publication
of paper.Deadline: E-mail submissions are
due by June 15, 2004.Website:http://www.abanet.org/domviolSponsor/Title: National Lesbian & Gay
Law Association Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition.Topic: A cutting edge legal issue affecting
the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Intersex community.Prizes: First place, $1,000 and
publication of the paper.Deadline: Entries must be received
on or before June 15, 2004.
Website:http://www.nlgla.orgSponsor/Title:American Intellectual
Property Law Association Robert C. Watson Competition.Topic: A subject relating to the protection
of intellectual property.Prizes: First place, $2,000.Deadline: Entries must be submitted on
or before June 30, 2004.Website:http://aipla.orgSponsor/Title: University of Leicester Victoria
Fisher Memorial Prize.Topic: Women and the law.Prizes: First place, 250 British
pounds.Deadline: Entries must be received
by September 30, 2004. Website:http://www.le.ac.uk/law/info/laugfish.htmlSponsor/Title: Berkeley Women's Law Journal
Writing Award.Topic: The Journal publishes pieces that
address the lives and struggles of underrepresented women.
In particular, the Journal seeks submissions that examine
the intersection of gender with one or more other axes of
subordination including, but not limited to, race, class,
sexual orientation, and disability.Prizes: First place, $250 and publication
of the article.Deadline: Entries must be receivec
by November 1, 2004.